7/28/2019 ETU responds to LNPs confirmation of 1200 Jobs slashed
across Ergon, Energex and Powerlink.
1/1
18 July 20
Att: All General and Political reporters
Storm CloudsGovernment gutting electricity companies in push to
privatise ETU
Irresponsible LNP cant guarantee same levelof service following
frontline job cuts
The Electrical Trades Union accused the LNP State Government of
betraying the bush in its rush to privatise the electricity
industry as Energy Minister Mark McArdle confirmed the worst
kept secret more than 1200 jobs had been cut from state
owned supply companies Ergon 690, Energex 460 and Powerlink 63
in the past year.
State Organiser Stuart Traill said the figures confirmed what
the Union had been saying since last year, the Government is
clearing the decks in readiness for a fire sale and in the
process they are leaving regional communities exposed to
service
cuts and dangerous neglect, the Union rejected the assertion by
the minister that no blue collar jobs have been lost.
Thats rubbish and McArdle knows it, figures show that more than
40 technical jobs were slashed in Energex and 250 in
Ergon, including 70 in cyclone-prone Far North Queensland.
The more than 1200 jobs does not include the latest proposals to
cut hundreds more jobs with the LNPs push to shut dow
up to 40 regional Ergon depots in the bush and their intention
to privatise more than 170 jobs connected to 33 remote
power stations up for sale, Mr Traill Said.
The people of Queensland and in particular the people in
regional and remote areas have a right to know, how the loss of
frontline staff will affect their service and response times
particularly in times of natural disaster? We believe it would
be
dishonest of the Government to say it can guarantee the same
level of service and we ask which communities will be left
isolated due to these irresponsible cuts, he said.
Mr Traill repeated the Unions vow to fight for every job and
called on regional communities to stand up and fight back
against the Governments attack on their jobs, their assets and
their communities .
Throw into the mix jobs losses in the South Burnett area
following the decisions by Government owned generator Stanw
to slash its Tarong workforce by 120 since October last year and
you have a clear picture of a Government that doesnt car
about the bush, every job lost has a knock on effect; families,
schools, hospitals, businesses and social infrastructure are al
affected. We ask communities to support the Not4Sale campaign
and write to their local MP
The LNP continue to hide behind their puppet boards, saying the
boards make the decisions, well we know for a fact they
are directing boards to cut costs and right size their
organisations, FOI information received earlier this year shows
quite
clearly Government ministers directed state owned electricity
providers Ergon and Energex to cut costs by 10%
The buck stops with the LNP, the Premier, the Energy Minister,
the Treasurer and every one of the other 71 LNP MPs
For further information please contact: Stuart Traill (State
Organiser) 0430 072 049
Peter Simpson (State Secretary) 0414 867 188 Andrew Irvine
(Media) 0448 633 858
